Lemon Bay girls headed back to state

The Lemon Bay High girls tennis team is headed to the FHSAA Class 2A State Tournament for an unprecedented fourth straight year after beating Cape Coral Mariner 5-0 Thursday in the 2A-Region 6 championship match.

The District 11 champion Lady Manta Rays won four of the five matches in straight sets en route to beating District 11 runner-up Mariner for a third straight time.

Now the Lady Manta Rays turn their attention to backing up up the claim of longtime veteran head coach Darrell Roach, when they compete at the 2A Tournament next Wednesday and Thursday at Red Bug Lake Park outside Orlando.

“I truly believe this is the best team I’ve ever had,” Roach said. “We’ve always been deep in the number three, four and five spots, but now we’ve got a number one and number two to support them and that is a good combination to have.”

The No. 1 and 2 players he is referring two are juniors Linda Antonova, who beat Tristan Miller 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 and Jessica Lown, who beat Katia Khatsekevich 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2.

“To be able to go back is a great feeling,” said Antonova, who has been Lemon Bay’s No. 1 player for three years. “At the beginning of the season we sat down and brainstormed what we wanted to accomplish individually and as a team. Just to be able to reach almost all of our goals is great.”

“We got down in some matches and came back,” Roach said. “That’s what champions do.”

Lemon Bay finished sixth in the state last year, seventh the year before and fifth in 2010.

To prove their status in Roach’s estimation, the Lady Mantas have to finish in the top half of the eight-team tournament and advance to the second day, which they did not do last year.

Linda Antonova explained how Lemon Bay can reach its next team goal. “Once we get there, just focus on maintaining what we had throughout the season,” she said. “Focus is very important to us and we’re really supportive of each other, so I think that plays a big role.”

The Lemon Bay boys were not so fortunate in their 2A-Region 6 final. The Manta Rays lost 4-0 to Fort Myers Bishop Verot.